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Melbourne / Victoria

State of Victoria 90-90-90 Targets PLHIV : 6,356 (2015)

Source: Jointly provided by the Burnet Institute and the Kirby Institute at the University of NSW, 2016

State of Victoria HIV Care Continuum PLHIV : 6,356 (2015)

PLHIV Diagnosed

90%

PLHIV Retained in Care

N/A

PLHIV on ART

84%

PLHIV Virally Suppressed

78%

Mayor's Message

“Building on our work as hosts of the AIDS 2014 International Conference, the City of Melbourne is committed to joining forces in global partnership to end this public health issue. Melbourne is home to key research facilities and leading academics in the field and is well placed to contribute to this response to HIV.”

Robert Doyle

Lord Mayor of Melbourne

Minister's Message

“As Australia’s first Fast Track City, Melbourne, with the support of the Andrews Labor Government and the City of Melbourne, is committed to reaching the Joint United Nations’ targets on reducing HIV notifications, stigma and discrimination. The UNAIDS 90-90-90 HIV treatment targets by 2020 is an ambitious target, but one we as a city, and as a Government, have an obligation to do everything we can to achieve. We will continue to work side by side with affected communities, sector partners, scientists and researchers to further expand our efforts to remove barriers to prevention, testing, treatment, care and support, and stamp out stigma and discrimination wherever we see it. I am now, and always will be, personally committed to the eradication of HIV.”

General practitioner services for the trans and gender diverse community

Mission: “Equinox Gender Diverse Health Service offers bulk billing General Practice services to the trans and gender diverse community. We see a need for a safe, inclusive space for trans and gender diverse (TGD) people to access quality general practitioner services. We want to create this space with the community, to help reduce the barriers to the health and wellbeing that TGD people deserve.”

Check schedule for event time and location: http://seahorsevic.com.au/main/?post_type=tribe_events

Overview:

Group support for the transgender community

Mission: “We meet at various locations several times a month and also hold fund raising events for the benefit of the transgender community. Members are also involved in legislative reform and work with government and community groups in all aspects of human rights for the Victorian transgender community.”

Mission: o “To deliver a high-quality peer-based telephone counselling service for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people;
o To provide a service without discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, health or social status, sexual orientation or political belief;
o To develop a comprehensive training program for volunteer counsellors, including programs which foster on-going skills development;
o To investigate and address the needs of under-represented client groups;
o To deliver a service accessible to people outside the established gay and lesbian communities;
o And to improve the welfare of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people.”

Mission: “Transgender Victoria (TGV) was founded in the late 1990s to achieve justice, equity and quality health and community service provision for trans and gender diverse (TGD) people, their partners, families and friends. This includes those who identify as trans, transgender, transsexuals, genderqueer, cross-dressers and all other people whose gender identity or expression is different from that which was assigned at birth or that which is expected of them by society. TGV would like TGD people to have the same quality of services as others in the community, and to be able to feel comfortable to seek health care and support when they need it.”

Mission: “SCH works in partnership with people and communities to promote and improve equity, health and wellbeing, by: Delivering innovative, client-directed services that take into account the context of the individual and the community; and Championing prevention and change to address the structural reasons for health inequity.”

Mission: “Living Positive Victoria is a community-based organisation that works to advance the human rights and wellbeing of people living with HIV. Our mission is to enable and empower all people affected by and living with HIV in Victoria to be part of the response that seeks an end to the HIV epidemic.”

“Positive Women Victoria (PWV) is the only community based organisation specifically funded to support women living with HIV in Australia and was established by and for women living with HIV. PWV provides support, information and advocacy for women in Victoria living with HIV. For over twenty five years PWV has responded to the changing needs of women living with HIV, recognising the impact gender has on the way women experience HIV and addressing the specific needs and emerging issues that affect women living with HIV in Victoria.”

“Straight Arrows is a not for profit organisation governed by and for heterosexual people living with HIV and is Victoria lead agency for heterosexuality and HIV. We offer peer support, information, advocacy, health promotion and referrals for HIV positive heterosexual men, women, their partners and families. In recognition of our members' diverse needs, we provide a safe and comfortable environment that is completely confidential.”

“The Institute of Many (TIM) is a peer-run group for HIV positive people. Acting as a social umbrella and advocacy platform, we bring HIV positive people together to share their experience of living with HIV in an informal, confidential environment- in person and online.”

Mission: “We’re inspired by a vision of strong, vibrant communities, where more people enjoy good health and healthy lifestyles. Improved access to healthcare and better information about healthy lifestyle choices are the building blocks of strong communities.”

See schedule for meeting times and locations: http://www.aavictoria.org.au/aa-meetings/

Overview:

“Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.”

Primary Services: “Free drug and alcohol counselling, Individual treatment plans, partnership in and monitoring of the plan, Honest and positive reports provided on request (with written client permission), Referral for related problems such as housing, legal and other coordinated care, Drug Information that empowers you to make choices about alcohol and drugs, Management of pain, insomnia, fear, stress and other mental and physical events, Individual treatment plans, partnership in and monitoring of the plan”

See schedule for meeting times and locations: http://www.navic.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/sept28.08.16.pdf

Overview:

“Narcotics Anonymous is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean and build a new way of life. There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using. We suggest that you keep an open mind and give yourself a break. Our programme is a set of principles written so simply that we can follow them in our daily lives. The most important thing about them is that they work.”

Mission: “The Women’s Alcohol and Drug Service is the only state-wide drug and alcohol service providing specialist clinical services and professional support to care for pregnant women with complex substance use and alcohol dependence.”

Community Leadership Messages

“As a proud Melburnian, I am delighted that Melbourne, and the State of Victoria, continues their strong commitment to responding to HIV through investment in innovative programs in HIV prevention and care through an enduring strong partnership between political leaders, scientists, clinicians and the community. Ongoing investment in science, innovation and communities is the only way we will achieve our shared goal of virtual elimination of HIV by 2020.”

Professor Sharon Lewin

Director

Doherty Institute

“As Australia's oldest AIDS organisation, VAC was born out of community activism and we've fought for more than 30 years to bring an end to this epidemic. The end is now in sight for Victoria and we all need to maintain our rage to end new transmissions by 2020 through fighting stigma, ensuring people have access to care, treatment and all available prevention tools.”

Simon Ruth

CEO

Victorian AIDS Council

“Melbourne is well on course to reach the 90 90 90 targets, and we have rapidly enabled 2,500 high risk individuals to access PrEP. But to reduce the number of new HIV infections, we need to increase the frequency of HIV testing in gay and bisexual men, and we need to eliminate stigma in both the community and healthcare settings so we can extend our prevention package reach to those at risk for HIV in metropolitan, rural and regional areas. I know we can achieve this.”

Professor Jenny Hoy

Director, HIV Medicine

Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Monash University

“The strikingly successful aspect of Victoria’s HIV response has been the enduring and close a collaborative partnership between government, clinical, community and research sectors. Well before the rise in prominence a combination HIV prevention approach, these strong partnerships led to the evolution of an enabling environment that supports best-practice HIV prevention and care across the community. While there is still much to do, Victoria is well placed to meet and push beyond our HIV elimination targets.”

Mark Stoove

Associate Professor

Burnet Institute

“I was in San Francisco when AIDS was first discovered, and I saw the incredible strength of a community and city united against this disease. It is this unity in a partnership model which has served many cities and countries so well over the last 30 years, and which we will build on in the Fast Track Cities Initiative. A partnership between all levels of government, scientists, clinicians and the people most affected by HIV focused on ending this epidemic.”

“Victorians have mobilised to actively prevent new HIV infections with over 2,200 Victorians at high risk of HIV infection taking PrEP. Victoria seeks to be one of the first places in the world to end new HIV infections and this commitment will not waver.”

Edwina Wright

Associate Professor

Alfred Health

“Primary care practitioners play a critical role in preventing, testing for and treating HIV. With the right support and training, and the new treatment and prevention tools we have, we can reach the goal of making HIV and AIDS a thing of the past in Melbourne and Victoria.”

Associate Professor Christopher Carter

CEO

North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network

“PLHIV in Melbourne and Victoria have access to some of the highest quality of health care services anywhere in the world. And with recent changes to abolish Australia’s only criminalisation law of HIV positive people, most people living with HIV live relatively safe and healthy lives. However, like so many other places around the world, HIV stigma continues to persists. It negatively affects HIV testing rates, it presents as a barrier to early treatment uptake and it profoundly affects the quality of life of PLHIV. When people live with fear of disclosing their HIV status, are faced with ignorance and dismissed by their families and communities or have to face unnecessary scrutiny of health care providers then shame overshadows their lives. This is our greatest challenge and one the Taskforce to keen address”